For almost two-fifths of U.S. adults, the end of a workday doesn't always mean the work stops. Adobe surveyed 2,000 members of the general population to better understand the who, where, what, when and how of American side hustles - and found that 38% of respondents say they currently have a side hustle in addition to their full- or part-time job.
Nearly two in five U.S. adults say they currently have a side hustle, and more than three-fifths of them wish their on-the-side business could replace their main job.
Whether it's owning another business, working for someone else or participating in independent activities (reselling products and goods online, taking surveys, etc.), Americans are exploring ways to further supplement their income. The majority of U.S. adults with side hustles say they spend at least 5% of their week working on their side hustle, and a third are generating $2000+ annually. In fact, more than three-fifths of U.S. adults with side hustles wish their on-the-side business could replace their main job.
Who is the average side hustler?
According to the survey findings, men (58%) are more likely than women (42%) to say they have a side hustle. Younger generations such as Millennials (40%) and Gen Xers (30%) are more likely to say they have a side hustle than older generations like Boomers (21%).
Men are more likely than women to say they have a side hustle, and they're also more likely to wish their side hustle could replace their main job.
Additionally, 53% of those who say they have a side hustle are also working a full-time job, while 17% are employed part-time. Men (64%) are more likely than women (58%) - and Millennials (70%) and Gen X’ers (66%) are more likely than Boomers (42%) - to wish their side hustles could replace their main jobs.
Geographically speaking, respondents who say they have a side hustle are distributed relatively evenly across the U.S.: 39% in the South, 24% in the West, 19% in the Midwest and 18% in the Northeast. Forty-nine percent are based in suburban communities, while 33% are urbanites and 18% reside in rural areas.
What is their side hustle?
Adobe's survey found that, of the 38% who say they currently have a side hustle, 28% own or run the business, 21% work for someone else, and 51% participate in independent activities.
General services, like tutoring or meal delivery, are the common core offering of side hustles. Women are more likely to offer home-made products (26%) through their side hustles than men (9%). However, men are more likely to offer creative services (26%).
How much time do they spend, and what do they make?
Time dedicated to side hustles varies, as do the annual earnings reported by U.S. adults with on-the-side ventures. That said, the majority of those with side hustles (66%) spend between 5-34% of their time on their business. And these efforts make an impact: Thirty-three percent of U.S. adults with a side hustle say they earn $2,000 or more from their business annually.
How do they promote their business?
Seventy-four percent of surveyed U.S. adults with a side hustle promote their business. According to the survey findings, Facebook tops the list of promotional platforms used (65%), followed by Instagram (40%), YouTube (31%), Twitter (26%) and blogging (18%).
And when it comes to the tools that U.S. side hustlers use to promote their businesses, social media enhancements are the most commonly used (63%), followed by design software (53%) and newsletter syndication (17%).
Additional Assets
At this link, you'll find a PDF of Adobe's survey data.
Credits:
Created with an image by Garrhet Sampson - "Rise And Grind"